iShares MSCI Germany ETFNYSE American: EWG

iShares MSCI Germany ETF launched in 1996 and has $1B in assets, tracking 56 large and mid-sized German companies. The fund has performed well on a trailing 1- year basis, and its industrials' exposure is poised to benefit from a lower interest rate environment. I currently rate EWG as a buy based on the significance of the German economy and the potential for outperformance on the back of a European recovery.

EWG offers an easy way to gain exposure to the German stock market. US investors using dollar-denominated ETFs like EWG are experiencing significant underperformance due to currency effects. The investment case for buying EWG is not compelling due to political uncertainty, slow economic growth and the lack of a currency hedge.

EWG: Wrong Timing and Superior Alternatives

Germany has structural economic issues, and EWG's exposures have quite a lot of explicit German sales. Germany's woes affect ECB policy, which will likely remain restrictive having an outsized impact on cyclicals. The German economy is still in a vice, and Europe isn't doing much better. We just don't see a recipe for success in the EWG bucket.

Germany is facing numerous economic headwinds. Without adapting to a new global economic landscape and resolving structural issues, Germany may underperform chronically for years to come. While it's not the best time to invest in German equities, I'm not pessimistic about the German economy in the longer term.

iShares MSCI Germany ETF offers concentrated access to the German market with a focus on large-cap to mid-cap companies. Risks associated with investing in German markets include inflation, potential recessions, ECB policies, and challenges faced by German companies. An alternative ETF option with lower costs may be a better choice for investors considering the German market.